Vicissitude
by Akatsuki Blossom
Summary: A young lady was taken away from the world she was born in, and transferred to another one. Somehow, she happens to go back to the dimension where she was born.
1. Chapter 1

**The Dimension Traveler**

Summary: A young lady was taken away from the world she was born in, and transferred to another one. Somehow, she happens to go back to the dimension where she was born.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters.

Author's Note: This story has been floating in my head for a while now, but I just now decided to put it down. This is the first of my OC's that I have kept for more than two years. So I decided to write her story. So, most of the spell in this chapter was translated by me. It's French. Most of the spells I write will be in English. I need a good Latin translator. Any help on that front would be very much appreciated.

Chapter 1: Worries and Other Things

A young lady sat down on the side of her bed, and pulled her headphones over to her. Her light brown hair drifted from the ponytail she had placed there not even an hour before. Her light blue eyes scanned the room, and then rested on the bookshelf before walking away. There was nothing else on the bed until she pulled out a set of books from under her bed_. Harry Potter_ was stamped on the front of all of them, from the _Philosopher's Stone_ to the _Deathly Hallows_. She dusted off the _Philosopher's Stone_ and began reading. The pages were yellowed and warn, rather than the _Goblet of Fire_, which she had just paid for the year before. The other ones were just as dog-eared as the first one, and when she finished with the first one, she picked up the _Order of the Phoenix._ A white light came from the cover, engulfed the girl, and she completely disappeared.

She appeared in the front of an amazing stone structure, on the top of the stairs before her bare foot slipped upon the hard granite covered with snow, and she fell down and hit her head at the bottom. The skies sparkled with stars, and the moon was full. No one was out and about, and would not be until the next morning or the beginning of the afternoon, even though it was in the middle of the school year. Nothing would disturb the peace of the snowfall that had happened hours before. Hours would pass before she was found, or at the very least woke up. The next morning, the girl was found by their very own Potions Professor. His dark eyes surveyed the scene carefully before he picked her up and carried her to the hospital wing, even picking up the girl's IPod and headphones. He left her in the hospital wing, told Pomfrey, and went to breakfast as he usually did. He tried not to think of the girl through the rest of the day, but she kept coming back to his thoughts, even when he employed his highest level of Occlumency. Unusually, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, in his trademark colorful robes, did not attend the morning meal. He, too, was in the hospital wing, looking at the young girl that had magically appeared on the large stone steps of Hogwarts.

It was extremely and veritably unusual. Pomfrey diagnosed the girl with having a bound magical core and a minor concussion due to her fall down the stone stairs.

"Poppy, when can we unbind it?" asked Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Possibly tomorrow, if she wakes up and the potions have worked to their maximum efficacy", Pomfrey replied. "However, if she wakes up before then, I will call you. I do hope she is who you say she is".

"I shall see you tomorrow morning, then, Poppy. Thank You", He said as he walked from the clean, pristine hospital wing.

Dumbledore smiled brightly as he walked back up to his office.

The next morning, Pomfrey woke him at six o' clock in the morning. The girl awoke only moments before and was asking questions about where she was and how she arrived at Hogwarts. Poppy decided to wake Dumbledore and allow him to explain. She had already taken some blood from the girl, and Dumbledore was only happy to supply his own for a comparison.

"Poppy, what did you say you needed my blood for"? He asked quietly as she siphoned some blood off of the cut on his arm.

"The blood is going to be compared to hers, and see if there are any similarities." Poppy said in her no-nonsense tone of voice. "Even though you are not her mother or father, your blood still has a trace of the same magical properties."

"Her magic would have to be unsealed to compare against mine, then." Dumbledore stated, as Poppy healed his arm.

"Yes", she answered him.

"Let's go and explain things to her before we begin with asking her about her magic," Dumbledore said jovially as he pulled one of his effervescent robes on over his sleeping clothes.

Instead of walking, they used the floo to go directly to the hospital wing. Poppy stepped out of the floo first, and dusted the soot off her robes before Dumbledore had appeared. He stepped out almost regally, with no soot upon his robes. Today, they were neon orange with bright purple stars that would shoot across the hem of his outer robe.

His gaze had been drawn to the girl in the hospital bed, who was watching him with the same expression that a cat would watch a mouse with. The coolness of the emotion that she expressed was almost nonexistent. Only because he was a Legilimens was the only reason that he could read her. He lightly dusted her mind, and he could not access any of her thoughts; the only thing that he could grab on to was one emotion: complete and unadulterated anxiousness.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," She greeted politely. Her blue eyes watched him warily, and her mouth was set into a firm line. Dumbledore briefly entertained the idea of her getting the same expression from Severus, but she had never met him before.

"I apologize but I do not know what you are called now", He replied, before walking over to the side of her standard infirmary bed and conjuring a chintz armchair for him to sit in. He sat down, and she looked over at him questioningly.

"You don't know what I'm called now?" She asked, her American accent becoming the strongest they had heard this morning. Her once cautious expression had now become unreadable. Like Severus.

"It requires an explanation, and a rather long one, at that."

"I have all the time in the world, Headmaster." The girl said sardonically, with a wry grin.

Poppy had disappeared from the room when their dialogue had commenced, and could be seen in her office, rearranging a potions store. The vials clinked against each other, and their contents sloshed threateningly against their corks. The seals held, however.

"My granddaughter was abducted nearly nineteen years ago and never was found. The only one with the resources to do so was Voldemort and his followers. Her mother was killed when my granddaughter was taken, and her husband was later poisoned."

"I. . ." The girl started to say.

"I think that you are her. Your eye color- my eye color is hereditary through the Dumbledore line. Poppy had mentioned that when she scanned you that someone had placed blocks on your magical ability."

"So you put the coincidences together, and that was the only explanation as to why I was here." The girl said

Dumbledore nodded.

"So how do we unlock my abilities? It's surprising, because I never showed any signs of magical abilities. My immune system and eyesight are bad enough. What would happen to those issues? Would it make them worse or better?" The girl asked.

"I believe it would help those issues, because in cases of a prolonged magical block, there are some instances that the immune system and other functions are suppressed along with the magic." Dumbledore responded. "But, in the case of unlocking your abilities, I would need another person to help perform their part of the charm. It will be painful, but you will be unconscious for most of it. Procedure demands that you be awake for the first part."

The girl nodded, her light brown hair swishing about her face. Her eyes were slightly dulled from fatigue, but there was a fire behind them that Dumbledore admired.

"So when do we start?" She asked.

"Allow me time to find my other third, and we will start immediately. The school is breaking for the winter holidays at the moment, so you shouldn't have to worry about meeting too many people in here". Dumbledore said as he stood from his sitting position.

He stretched, looked at her once more, and said, "I shall see you soon, my dear".

"See you later," She replied.

Her eyes watched him leave with the same expression that she had watched him come in with. However, she gave him a small smile before he stepped into the floo and swirled away in a mixture of soot and green fire.

Dumbledore stepped out of the floo, and into the warm toned sitting room of Severus Snape. He was sitting in a deep red leather wing back chair, reading a thick tome. He put it down as Dumbledore knocked the soot from his outer robes and tidied himself with a cleaning charm.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," He acknowledged.

"Severus, I need your assistance with removing a magical block. Poppy has already agreed to help me, so you would complete the triumvate."

Severus nodded, stood up and followed Dumbledore through the floo. When he arrived, he, too, had to clean himself using his wand. The floo system in the school could be troublesome at times, especially when they had been used more than three times.

"Miss, if you would, close your eyes, relax and stand in the middle of the room." Poppy instructed her, shrinking and moving beds and curtains out of the way.

She, in her lacy hospital gown, stood in front of them, her eyes closed, and her body relaxed. Her hair was loose, and the shadows under her eyes were more pronounced in the unadulterated sun than they were when she was laying in the bed, with the curtain shielding her.

Severus only regarded her coolly, and moved to where he completed the triangle between Dumbledore and Poppy.

"We shall begin".

Dumbledore began a series of chants, moving his wand as he began. It took him nearly five minutes to finish, while his wand went through several series of spirals, flicks, and jabs.

The girl gasped as a dark purple light encompassed her, and sunk into her skin. A pained grimace flitted across her face, and after a moment, before she collapsed to the floor, she emitted a pained scream. Her eyes opened, and then flitted closed. She was unconscious.

Severus went next, chanting another set of spells, and he moved his wand through swirls, curls and another set of jabs that looked more ferocious than they should have. This time, a light blue light circled around her head, and absorbed.

Her hair became a darker auburn and her body grew several centimeters taller.

Poppy said nothing, but moved her wand through both patterns, concentrating on the young girl before them. Nothing was said, but a yellow light wrapped around the girl, and glowed along her lower and higher extremities.

"Is it normal for her body to change this fast?" asked Severus.

"Yes. Her magic has been locked away nearly her entire life. Her body is simply righting itself." Poppy answered. "Now, in the next 24 hours, she cannot use magic, and magic cannot be used on her. It would put too much of a strain on her body."

"Severus, would you mind putting her in the bed she was resting in earlier?" Poppy asked.

Severus gave a short nod, and gingerly picked up the girl and placed her on the bed. Dumbledore covered her.

"You need a Magic Replenisher to put back the magic you used earlier. Don't use a lot of magic today, and, Severus, please don't brew anything over the O.W. L. year level," Poppy said, handing them two light blue potions.

Dumbledore smiled, and Severus scowled. He had planned to alter a potion that he was in the process of perfecting. Most of the holidays, he spent on his private research, and his research was definitely higher than that of the O.W.L. year.

"I would suggest reading or resting in some way." Poppy said, giving a small smile.

Severus nodded and strode from the hospital wing, his voluminous robes drifting behind him. Dumbledore hummed jovially, and followed him out at a more sedate pace. Poppy grinned and slowly walked back to her office. She sat down behind her desk and pulled out a book on muggle physiology to read. Its red binding looked new, and Anatomy and Physiology stood out in slender silver letters.

The next morning, at ten o' clock, Dumbledore walked into the Infirmary with a spring in his step. Today, to him, felt like an extremely good day. To reflect it, his robes were red and golden snitches zoomed around the hemming. Poppy walked out of her office, and gave a smile to Dumbledore.

"I was just able to procure some blood. The magic in her blood finally settled down enough to see if it matches yours. If you wait here, I can tell you if it is in five minutes."

Dumbledore nodded, and they waited five minutes. Poppy walked back into her office, and removed a piece of parchment that had lines that ran horizontal. She pulled another piece of parchment out of her pocket, and matched the two side by side.

They were exactly the same. They only difference was the coloring. The girl's was a deep purple, almost black, while Dumbledore's was a bright white.

"So she is my granddaughter." He said quietly.

Poppy nodded. He smiled. "I'm taking her out this morning. Do you have any extra robes she can wear?"

Poppy smiled, "Yes I do. Let me floo to my other quarters, and I'll be back with them".

Poppy strode from the room, and Dumbledore found himself walking to his granddaughter's bed. She was awake and sitting with a book in her lap. Her hair, dark and long, strung around her shoulders, falling onto the pillow behind her. She looked up at him.

"How are you doing today, Antares?" He asked.

"I feel better than I have in a long time. How about you? Is Antares my name?" She responded, pulling a long strand of hair away from her face.

Dumbledore's answering smile was nearly blinding. "I am doing very well, and yes, Antares Lysandra Clare. Unless you would like to change it, then we could have that arranged. Poppy has gone to get you a set of robes for today. After she gets back, I will take you out to get your necessities. Is there any place in particular that you would like to go? Or any questions?"

"So I am your granddaughter? And if we had the time, I would like to go to an art supply store. Perhaps some sort of music store, also"? She asked, "Does that mean I get a wand today?"

"Yes, you get your wand today, as well as anything that you can't live without. We can go out again tomorrow, but I am planning on introducing you to the other teachers and students that are here during the holidays tomorrow evening. However, if you would like to wait, you may. And as for the art supply and music stores, I believe we can make an exception."

She smiled at him, and moved the book to the side table.

"What book are you reading?" He asked, sitting on the foot of the bed.

"One Thousand Curses and Hexes to Defend Yourself With by Romulus Rome. I thought that it would be prudent for me to read up on how to defend myself from other people. You never know what can happen, and what is needed." She answered. "I've found four or five that I really want to try out."

"We'll make time to fit the bookstore into my schedule today, but if we don't, then we'll go tomorrow." Dumbledore said.

"What is the date?" Antares asked.

"It is December Eighteenth," Dumbledore replied. "You made it just in time for Christmas. Most of the students left two days ago."

"So the castle's empty and there is only a small amount of students and teachers?" She asked.

"On December 23, there will be a Yuletide ball. So we'll get your dress robes today as well. We'll stop for them in Hogsmeade, since it is closer."

Just then, Poppy walked into the room, and Dumbledore smiled at her. She sat the robes on the bed and turned to Antares. "If you need any help getting these on, tell me."

Antares nodded, and Dumbledore followed Poppy away from Antares. He didn't want her to think that he was a stalker grandfather.

A few moments later, Antares had walked out from behind the curtain, and both adults started laughing at her. The robes Antares wore were slightly too big, and they hung off of her slim frame. The dark maroon color brought out the red sheen in her hair and made her light blue grey eyes stand out. She was tall enough for them, but Poppy was slightly more heavyset than her. Dumbledore pulled out his wand, and waved it in a circular motion around Antares. The robes fit better than they had before, but they were still slightly big on her.

He pulled two quills out of his pocket and transfigured them into a pair of shoes. They were black. She tried them on, and they, too, were too big. Dumbledore jabbed his wand at them, and they tightened on her feet. Finally, they could leave.

A/N: This chapter is from third person point of view. Should I change it to first person, or leave it alone? I think that the first person would give more insight into Antares' thoughts and decisions.


	2. The Ballad of Mona Lisa

The Dimension Traveler

A/N: Okay, this is my second chapter, though the first had a slight alignment malfunction. This chapter is from Antares' point of view. Please Review!

Chapter 2: A Shopping Trip

I smiled at Dumbledore. I still couldn't believe that this was the world that I was born in, and that I was his granddaughter. It was unreal. He gave a benevolent grin, and said, "Well, let's get going. Instead of flooing, we'll walk to the gate, and I'll side a long apparate you to Diagon Alley."

I gave a nod, and he offered me his arm. I took it, and he led me towards the door, and we were out into the corridor. The light streaming from the windows blinded me, and I shielded my eyes against it. My eyes adjusted, and I put my arm back down. The robes I had on were heavy; they were obviously made for the cold of December. Their weight was almost suffocating, and I disliked the red color. It was a mix of bright red and maroon.

We walked through the corridor, and turned a right, and we were onto the main staircase. "We're on the main staircase now." Dumbledore said superfluously.

It was a bit more than obvious, but I only looked at him indulgently.

"So what should I call you?" I finally asked him.

"You may call me Albus or Granddad or Gramps, if you prefer. You _are_ my granddaughter, after all." He said, bright blue eyes twinkling merrily.

He slipped his hand into mine, and gave a wink. We passed two or three students, and they regarded us with surprise and interest. Two of them had Ravenclaw robes on, and the other one had Hufflepuff robes. We made it out of the castle without running into anyone else, and walked out onto the grounds. The grounds themselves were beautiful, even in winter. The lake had a thin layer of ice on it, and the ground crunched when we walked. Although the wind was biting, it was worth it to see something so beautiful. It was a nice contrast to what I was used to. Even in winter, where I lived, it was tropical. On Christmas day, it was seventy degrees Fahrenheit.

It just wasn't normal. Well, the weather, anyway.

"Antares, are you enjoying our little walk?" Dumble-no, grandfather spoke.

"Yes. Where I used to live never got this cold. It was always warm and tropical. I have seen snow before, but not too often, so it is a welcome change," I replied.

"The robes have climate spells woven in them. They last for five years or so, and you can get them renewed for a small fee if you do not want new ones. Cloaks are made from heavier materials, while robes are made for spring, summer and fall. Did you wear robes? Or cloaks of any kind?" He explained. We had stopped walking a few moments ago.

"No. The world I lived in was totally inhabited by muggles. There wasn't magic. Only parlor tricks. This world was in a series of books, and I so happened to read those books before I…." I said.

"How much do you know?"

"I know the basics, though I could have told you some spells to begin with; without reading the book Madam Pomfrey somehow procured for me."

His eyes met mine in silent wonder, and then he smiled. He was always smiling. "You are an extremely happy person, aren't you?" I asked him.

"I am normally content, but for the first time in 17 years, I am truly happy. I have one of my loved ones back." He answered, laying both of his hands on my shoulders. "Though, the others are dead, and you were missing."

I could only look down at my transfigured shoes.

"You are a calm person." He stated, and pushed my chin up to where I would meet his eyes. "And extremely shy. You have no need to be ashamed; what happened to your mother and father is not your fault. It is only Voldemort's fault. Neither your mother nor your father would join him. They were my biggest supporters."

He grinned. "We can continue this talk later, in my office. We need to get all we can today, but if it does not happen, we can come back tomorrow. Though, it will be more crowded tomorrow than it is today. Last minute shoppers, you understand."

I nodded. "It would be more prudent to finish our conversation later. But you're going to apparate us?"

"Yes. We'll make sure that you learn to apparate soon, too. We have quite a bit to do." He said, grabbing my hand and nearly dragging me towards the gates.

We made it there quickly, but I was breathing harder than I should have because of the cold air. It seemed I was still slightly out of shape, even if I was skinnier than I once was. Dumbledore noticed this. "Severus runs every morning. I'll see if you can join him so you can build some of your strength back. He's the one that found you the other morning and brought you to Poppy."

I hadn't pegged Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House, to participate in any sort of muggle exercise. I almost grinned at the picture of him in a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants.

"Antares, hold onto my arm, and no matter what, do not let go," Grandfather said. I did as I was told, and he rotated to the side.

It felt as if I had been stuffed through a tube and shaken. When it was over, as it lasted only a second, I leaned against him and tried to catch my breath. I opened my eyes, only to meet with a spinning circle of red and green. I closed them again, and rested my head on his shoulder. To tell the truth, I had never gotten queasy while going on any sort of rollercoaster. Why was I getting queasy now? After I opened my eyes, I noticed that Grandfather was holding me upright and looking at me with something akin to a frantic worry.

"I'm alright now. I didn't expect the sensation; it caught me off guard. I've never been queasy about that kind of stuff before." I said, wrapping his hands in mine.

He only nodded his head, and said, "Where in the world have you experienced that or anything like it before?"

"There are these things in the muggle world. They are called amusement parks, and they have different rides. Well, my favorites are called rollercoasters. They ride along a track, like a train, but it is lined with electricity, and it controls how fast that particular ride goes. I happen to like the fastest ones. I've never reacted like that before, to anything." I said, "And they are exceptionally fast."

He smiled. "Perhaps when it is summer, you could take me there. But, we need to go to Gringotts, the bank. It is run by goblins. They normally dislike humans, though they tolerate us enough to handle our possessions and moneys."

I gave a nod, and we navigated to one of the most crowded buildings in the alley. Easily, it outstripped Quality Quidditch supplies and Flourish and Blotts. There were some people that looked like they were having a good time. Some others however looked terribly annoyed by the large crowds. It was something to see the degree that other people went through to get some Christmas presents. When we finally managed to speak with one of the goblins, he only sneered and gave my grandfather a stack of checks, and told him to return the ones that he had not used.

The first place that we visited was Ollivander's Wands. When we entered, he looked at me with a keen eye; like he was dissecting me. It was something that he could make me feel so awkward without saying a word. I tried to meet his eyes, but he was an unsettling individual.

"I have been expecting you for quite a while, Ms. Clare." He said in his trance-inducing voice. "Which one is your wand arm?"

"My right."

A tape measure popped into existence, and started measuring everywhere. Ollivander had disappeared into the stacks of wands that lined the shelves in his shop, and returned after the tape measure had finished.

"Yew and Dragon Heartstring, 9 ½ inches. Springy and good for transfiguration. Give it a wave." I waved it and the mirror on the side of the wall completely shattered.

I grimaced and sat the wand down back on the table in front of him. He handed me another one.

"Rosewood and Unicorn hair, 8 ¾ inches. Good for charm work and healing. Give it a wave." He said, placing the other one back into the box.

I waved it, and this time, all the windows in the store cracked. He snatched it out of my hand. He handed me nearly twenty more when he disappeared into the back of his shop once more. I eyed my Grandfather with something akin to dread. Ollivander returned with three more boxes.

"You are one of my more tricky customers, aren't you, Ms. Clare?" He said seriously. "I should hope that one of these three will fit you. None of these have been used by any other wizard, and have been specifically crafted for an elemental wizard. These are made to help control opposing elements."

"It sounds interesting. So are the wand materials themselves made of opposing materials, to help balance themselves out, or is it made like another wand?" I asked, as he handed me a nearly white wand with a black metallic inlay.

"This series is balanced by the metal inlay; it brings the two elements together." He explained.

I waved it and his desk exploded into splinters. I gave him back the white wand. He tutted, repaired his desk, and handed me another wand. This one was a light chestnut, with a pewter inlay. I waved it.

Where the windows in the shop had cracked before, with one of the other wands, this one made them frost over. I handed it back, too.

This time, he gave me a black wand. Ebony, I identified it, with a platinum inlay through the handle. I waved it, and a warm feeling spread through my body. It was as if I were meeting one of my best friends again. It shot out red and blue sparks, and Ollivander smiled.

"I see that the Ebony, Phoenix Feather, with Platinum inlay is what suits your magic best. It is 12 ½ inches long and good for offensive and defensive magic. It corresponds with the elements fire and water. The wand was attracted to your personality."

Grandfather paid for the wand, and wand holster, and we walked out of the shop. He smiled, and I found myself giving him a real smile in return. The rush of the magic that I had performed had my blood rushing with adrenaline. It made me feel as if I had the world at my fingertips.

"Antares, now we need to go to Madam Malkins." He said, and I grabbed his hand as he took off down the street.

When we walked in the shop, there was nearly no one there. There was a girl, but no one else. Her mother was perusing the shelves at the other side of the store. It was filled with cloaks and racks upon racks of different kinds of clothes. There were black cloaks to bright orange, and every color in between with different cuts. There were several different kinds of Hogwarts robes, and even the cheapest robes had a sense of quality that I was not used to. Even summer clothing was on sale, rather than just the normal winter wardrobe.

A middle-aged woman approached me. "What is it for you, dearie?"

"A whole winter wardrobe, with a set of dress robes, and matching shoes if you have them. The cut and color are left up to Antares." Grandfather spoke for me.

"So 12 or 14 sets of robes with four cloaks, and shoes that match the robes. When do you need the dress robes by?"She asked him.

"Within the next two days," He answered.

She nodded, and dragged me up to the podium beside the other girl's. The woman's bewitched tape measure measured my entire body, the length of my legs, arms, torso, bust, neck, waist, and finally stopped when it measured around my head. It was just a normal cloth tape measure, but it had nearly found itself tangled three times. Meanwhile, the woman gave me a book filled with different styles. There were some that I wouldn't even touch with a ten-foot pole. They covered less than what would be appropriate in polite company. I picked twelve sets of robes with three layers, all of a different cut, and the cloaks that went with them. There were fur hats and mufflers that went with most of them. I chose black, navy blue, cerulean blue, dark forest green, royal blue, deep purple, deep red, lavender, and a monochromatic set with cool grays. The mufflers and hats were the same colors, with a lighter shade. For the dark purple one, there was a light purple muffler and hat, and for the light colored ones, the mufflers and hats were the darker shade. The light cerulean had a deeper shade of blue. It was just having the right complimentary color. My heavy cloaks were all darker colors, the deep red, green, purple, black, and blue. It was something that I didn't have to think about. The shoes, she had me try on when I was picking the colors. The size I wore was determined, and since they all had a slight sizing charm on them, I didn't have to go back to get them re-fitted if they didn't fit.

It took forever for her to pin them and get them to where she could sew them. Then, she led me back to the wall where the dress robes were on display. Most of them were light colored, but I picked up a strapless black and white ballroom gown. The bodice was white with black sparkles, and at the waist, it flowed around my legs. There was layer upon layer of satin and silk. The layers were staggered, so there was a black layer followed by a white layer, it followed that pattern for six layers and it swept the floor majestically around me. The strappy heels I had tried on only made me taller, and it was strange, how I was suddenly the tallest person in the room. They were a shiny gunmetal color. It was something I wasn't used to.

The lady said she would have two sets of the normal robes done by the time we left the alley, and she would send those to Hogwarts, while the other ones would be delivered with the dress robes and shoes.

After I left that shop, I was exhausted. "Grandfather, what time is it?"

"It is nearly two o' clock. We can stop to eat. There are a few places to eat, but they are more than likely filled to the brim." He said, "It would be a very long wait."

"Do you know of any muggle restaurants that we can go into without drawing suspicion to ourselves? Or a café?" I asked.

"There is a café ran by a squib two blocks over. We can go eat there since he caters to witches and wizards." He said. "Hold on. I'll apparate us there."

And hold on I did. This time, however, I didn't get dizzy. I gave him another real smile when we walked into the café door. I ordered some potato soup and a sandwich, with some pumpkin juice. He ordered dessert rather than something for lunch. We finished, and he apparated us back to the alley. This time, we went to a muggle clothing store, and I picked out black slacks, and a cool grey top, a rich purple, and light blue turtleneck to go with them. I picked out a military-style jacket with buttons down both sides of the torso. It was black and had a thick belt to go around it. I also picked out a set of winter sleepwear, three sweat suits and one pair of tennis shoes.

We then went to Flourish and Blotts. Perusing the shelves was almost a hassle, but it did not bother me. It was worth it, because I ended up finding several tomes that I would read. Some were on defensive, blocking, and curse reversal, while the other ones I picked out was for Offensive magic. Hexes, Curses, and other offensive magic. I did pick up some books on runes and arithmancy, which looked like the math I had done in school, just with different variables. Grandfather added some charms and Potions texts to the pile, and gave a wink.

"I have all the transfiguration texts you need; I used to teach it."

"You used to teach?" I asked, "It sounds interesting."

"It was. I met a lot of the current staff while they were in school. I was even Headmaster when Severus was in school. Severus was the other one that helped remove the blocks on your magic." 

"I see. Does that make you feel awkward around them?" I asked.

"No, not particularly." He said

I smiled. "So where do we go next?"

"It's nearly seven o'clock, and Gringotts closes at seven thirty. We can come back tomorrow. Go ahead and pick up your clothes, and I'll meet you inside the shop after I give the notes back." He said.

I nodded, and he gave me a hug before ambling off in the direction of Gringotts. I walked quickly in the direction of the mouth of the alley, and someone bumped into me and sent me sprawling.

"Oh, my apologies, Miss," said a drawling voice. "I hope I haven't injured you."

I looked up into the eyes of Lucius Malfoy. Narcissa, Draco, and who I assumed was Pansy were with him. They were dressed in conservative robes, and I gave a small smile. I allowed Lucius to help me up, and I said, "I'm not injured, Mr. Malfoy."

"Ah, what is your name? I don't believe you offered it to me before."

"Antares Clare. I've just come back from America, actually." I said, a safe half-truth.

He gave a nod. "Are you transferring to Hogwarts? You look seventeen, and it's been a while since Hogwarts has had a transfer student."

"Headmaster Dumbledore hasn't mentioned anything about it, though this is really my first day here. Although I was under the impression that Beaxbatons and Durmstrang are enjoying Hogwarts' hospitality this year with the Tri-Wizard tournament."

Draco's eyes lit up. "Yes, Krum, the Bulgarian international seeker is Durmstrang's champion this year. He had an excellent performance at the Quidditch World Cup this year. My family and I had top box seats."

"That must have been amazing. There is nothing better than a well-strategized quidditch match. I have to say that British Wizarding sports are better than American. It takes someone with some amount of intellect to play any position because of the amount of strategizing involved." I said.

"Draco plays seeker on his house team." Said Narcissa. "He, in my opinion is the one with the most talent."

"Too bad there isn't any Quidditch this year." Pansy said, "This year, we would have beaten Potter!"

"Ah! Antares! I had wondered where you had gotten to! Have you picked up your robes yet?" Asked Grandfather.

"No, Grandfather." I said.

He only smiled at me. "It's alright, my dear. I'll go and get them, if that's okay with you. I see that you're already making friends!"

I gave a small nod and he ambled off once more.

"He gets excited easily. I have no idea why." I said, sighing softly.

"If he gets to be too much for you, we're only a floo call away at Malfoy manor," Said Narcissa. "We sent out all our New Years Ball invitations last week, but Pansy, didn't you say that you had an extra?"

Pansy gave a quiet noise, and pulled them out of her cloak. She handed me one. Her face really did resemble that of a pug's. Even through, I still smiled at her and said "Thank-You" to Mrs. Malfoy.

They politely excused themselves, and I walked down the alley to Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions. Grandfather immediately found the invitation, and he opened it.

"You need another set of dress robes."

So I was now in the back, with the dress robes once more. This time, I picked out a simple and elegant fishtail emerald dress. In the darker, shaded areas, the material liked black, but where the light hit it, in the highlight, it was a deep emerald green. It came with a choker and a pair of black stilettos.

We paid for my purchases three of my every day robes were ready, while my black and white set of dress robes were finished. Grandfather shrunk them, and put those in the bag with my shrunk muggle clothes and books. He apparated me back to the castle, and took me up to his office. In the office, there was a certain place he pressed and allowed me into his private chambers.

"I do hope you don't mind sharing with me. Is it alright with you?"

"It's fine."

"Those people you were talking to, do you know who they are?" He asked.

"Yes, the Malfoys. They are affiliated with Voldemort and the dark arts. I'll be careful around them, Grandfather. I know more about them than anyone else in this dimension. They believe that their son is what is important in their lives. They would do anything to keep him safe." I said quietly.

He looked at me with a piercing gaze. "You know this as fact?"

I gave a nod, and kept my eyes on his. He filled a glass full of some sort of red wine, and handed it to me. He filled his own glass and took a sip. I took my own sip, and sat it down. To tell the truth, I hated the taste of alcohol. It wasn't sweet enough. He noticed, and took my glass, too.

"The staff meeting I called is right after dinner. Dinner is served from six until nine. Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Yes, I am hungry." I answered.

"Pip!" He called. A house elf appeared in front of him and bowed.

"How can I be serving Master?" He asked.

"Will you bring us some dinner?" He asked.

The elf said, "Yes," and disapparated.

He brought back a roast with potatoes and carrots as well as onions. It was delicious, and melted in my mouth. I looked up to see Grandfather watching me with a nostalgic look in his eyes. His face was relaxed, and it was obvious that he was lost within some other memory that I was not privy to. When the clock rang nine times, he looked up at me.

"We must meet the others for the staff meeting, and we have to speak with Severus about accompanying you to the Malfoy's New Years ball. We'll be late if we wait any longer."

I only nodded and followed him down the stairs, and through passageways. He led us a different way than what he took me through the castle this morning. Although, it only took us five minutes. Perhaps it was just because he was the Headmaster that he knew those certain ways. I was lost, and I would be lost if I ever tried to go this way. I knew I had a good memory, but even this was beyond my scope of reasoning.

We arrived in the staffroom, and only Severus was inside. He had taken the chair closest to the fire, and there was one beside his. I took it. He looked up from the fire, registered it was me, nodded at Dumbledore and looked back into the dancing flames. The staff meeting commenced, and I had to stand up as Dumbledore introduced me to them. I gave a polite smile, and sat back down, and the real meeting commenced.

Grandfather managed to get a hold of Snape before he could slither out of the room, and told him that I would be attending the ball hosted by the Malfoy's. He agreed to accompany me there, as I had never been and it seemed as if there was a level of trust between the two that most other people couldn't see. Perhaps it was because the staffroom was empty and I was staring into the flames. My vision went dark into blissful sleep.

Someone shook my shoulder.

"Time to wake up, Antares. Thank-You for coming, I know you're exhausted."

It was Grandfather. I jumped, and replied, "It's alright. I just nodded off for a moment."

He offered his hand in a gentlemanly way, and I took it, and he led me up several flights of stairs, and into his private chambers. He had an extra room, and I immediately fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

-Page Break—

A/N: Please Review and tell me what you think!


	3. Ball Preparations

_**Vicissitude**_

A/N: I haven't been clear while explaining some things. It was brought to my attention by a reviewer, and I had previously forgotten to mention some pertinent information about Antares—the reason she doesn't seem like she remembers much is because it had been a while since she had read the last book. That's why she had them out- she was going to read them again. But, as for why she hasn't gone into culture shock yet is because she's busy doing other things. Her culture shock will feature predominately soon. But, I changed the name- it just took me a while to find the right word to fit my story. The Dimension Traveler was just too cliché.

**Chapter 3: Ball Preparations**

The next morning, I woke to someone shaking my shoulder. It was Grandfather, but I still couldn't completely stifle my look of surprise. Even though, he only smiled and excused himself while I went through the necessities of getting ready for the day. I was glad the house-elfs had put my clothing and cloaks away in the armoire while the shoes were neatly placed under my bed. She had finished the cool grey set yesterday, so I wore that with my black cloak. My shoes were also black, and my muffler and hat were a light grey that matched the robes under my cloak. My wand went in its' holster after I had tried a quick 'reducio' on them both and failed. I would ask Grandfather to teach me that one later.

I walked into the salon, and Grandfather was sitting in his wing-back chair in front of the fire. It was green, signifying that he was talking to someone in the floo. Snape's head was there, and he soon stepped through.

"Antares, we've decided that you are to learn Wizarding customs and some traditional dances if you are to go to the Malfoy's and the Yule ball." Grandfather said, smiling at me.

I could only nod. "I'm warning you now. I'm not particularly graceful."

Snape only raised an eyebrow, and said, "As long as you behave as a young lady should, they will not fault you on whether you have smooth lines when you dance."

I raised my eyebrow back at him. "It's alright for them, but not for me. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to performance arts."

The light in his eyes became amused, and he said, "I am much the same way. I myself wasn't graceful when I was younger; it comes with practice."

I grinned nervously. "So when and where?"

"Now in one of the unused classrooms on the fourth floor." Said Snape, and he strode out of the room.

I followed after him, barely keeping up with his long strides. "You walk very fast."

He smirked. "I know."

I only shook my head, and we soon were at the room. He opened the door with a tap of his wand, and closed it softly behind me. He tapped it three times with his wand once more, and turned to me. He waved his wand, and the desks moved against the far wall, and the book cases reduced in size.

"Would you mind teaching me 'reducio'?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"After your etiquette lessons are finished, and that depends on how fast you learn." He said silkily.

"Very well." I answered. "Are there any recommended books for what I am learning?"

"Yes. There are several that Albus owns, and they are in his personal collection. He should not mind loaning you a few." He said, almost looking surprised.

I nodded. "So I expect you to have read the book by tomorrow, and notes by the end of the week, but today, we will work on dancing." He said, moving towards me.

He corrected my posture, and how I stood, and how much weight I applied to each foot. Then, he put a book on my head, and told me to walk circles around him without letting the book move. I walked around him twice before it fell.

"Again."

It took several times for me to make it above two laps around him.

"Again." Was the only thing he would ever say to me.

I eventually made it around him twenty times before he stopped me.

"Place your hands here and here, and shift your weight from left to right while keeping your book balanced." He said.

We practiced that for a while, before he called a stop to it. He took me back to my grandfather's room, and pulled out several thick tomes from the shelves that lined the walls in the salon. He raised an eyebrow at my expressionless look. It seemed easy enough; just note it as I read it. Using the quill would be the hardest part of the entire assignment.

"Do you want both of them noted, or one, and just read the other one?" I asked.

"Write notes for one of the books, and read the other. Most of the information is the same, but the book is written from a different perspective." He said.

I nodded.

"It is now three o'clock in the afternoon, so you have some time today to work on it. I don't want the notes before you have finished the second book. You will be quizzed on the customs the day you turn in the notes." He said, passing the books into my hands.

I nodded, and he smirked before leaving my Grandfather's private chambers. No one but me was there, so I started reading the thickest book first. I found some parchment and a never-leak, ever inked quill with an ever-sharp nib. I remembered the way I used to write; my mother had bought me a nice calligraphy set with a set of quills and some ink for Christmas last year. I opened to the first page and began reading. I ended up reading the first and second chapters before my Grandfather entered the room. He sat down in the wing-back chair he was in earlier, and unrolled a newspaper that he held in his hands.

"Your every day robes are finished; a house-elf brought them in earlier just after you left earlier with Severus." He said, and then inquired, "How did your lesson go with him?"

I looked up at him, and then smiled, "They went well. First, he corrected my posture, and then told me to walk while balancing a book on my head. I didn't do that very well, and when I did well enough, we moved on to shifting my weight from foot to foot. To begin with, he told me that we would start studying the etiquette, and I asked him what kind of background reading I would have to do for it, and he pulled these off the shelf in here."

He nodded, and said, "The quill you are using is slightly easier to write with than the others I have. Why did you pick that particular quill?"

"The nib is wider than the other ones. I had a calligraphy set that I got for Christmas one year, and it had some pens with the same width as this one. It was familiar to me is why I chose it over the other ones. That and it's an ever-ink. I wouldn't have to refill it." I said.

"If you want more parchment, there is some in my room. The wards are keyed to recognize your magical signature." He said.

I gave a slight nod, and he began perusing the paper in front of him. I went back to writing the notes, and found that writing in cursive was easier than printing, so I made sure to write as clearly and cleanly as possible. At the beginning, the writing was terrible, but it gradually got better, but even in the beginning, it was legible. I noted the first two chapters and put the quill and parchment down. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the sofa I was sitting on, and then blinked as something was pulled over my body. My eyes opened, and then closed as my Grandfather smoothed my hair away from my face.

When I awoke my books were placed neatly on the desk with the quill and parchment placed on top. No one was there but me once more. So, once more, I picked up the book and began the next chapter. I finished the next two before a house-elf popped up and sat a plate on the table beside me, and then disappeared with a loud 'crack'. I started writing the notes on the chapter, and began eating the bowl of soup while doing my best not to spill it on my paper. By the time I had finished the plate, the notes for four chapters were finished, while I still had a little over half a book to read and note. I realized that I had left my muffler and hat in the room I had been practicing in earlier. My parchment was also beginning to run out. I opened the door to my grandfather's quarters and blinked when I nearly ran into Snape.

"Sorry," I apologized, and tried to walk around him.

"And _where _do you think you are going?" He asked. "I have something to teach you."

I nodded and followed him back into the quarters. "Your grandfather told me earlier that you were interested in defensive and offensive spells, and that you had already began reading One Thousand Curses and Hexes. However, most of them require a thorough knowledge of Magical Theory."

"I thought so, because Rome went into detail about how the magic responds to each other, and the different ways they can make a spell worse or better. Almost like a catalyst." I said.

Snape nodded and sat down in the wing back chair. "Yes. Just like a catalyst. However, it depends on the type of spells used. If you use a deflection shield, for example, instead of a shield that absorbs the magic, it only helps you for a short time. Should you use the other shield, it uses their own magic against them. Most wizards do not realize that the magic that they use must be rationed because they use it all the time."

"I need some more books to read. After all, I don't only need to know the etiquette to this world." I said.

He nodded and removed himself from the chair with nary a sound. He was graceful, I noticed. More graceful than I was, that was for sure. He returned with three books, and sat them onto the table next to my books on etiquette. "However, you asked for me to teach you 'reducio'. Take out your wand."

I stood and pulled out my wand from the holster on my wrist. He looked at it appraisingly, and looked back at his own wand. They looked nearly the same, but mine was slightly longer, and the pattern on my handle was made of platinum.

"The wand motion is a large spiral descending into a small flick. Like so," He said, demonstrating, "Reducio."

He did it again on another book, and made them larger with an outwards spiral, and an, "Engorgio."

He motioned for me to do it. I tried, and got the wand motions right, and then said, "Reducio," with more emphasis on the 're' than any of the other vowels.

"Less emphasis on the 're' and more on the 'du'", he instructed.

I did it again, and the book shrunk to a smaller size. It looked nearly ¼ the size it had been. However, I didn't think that the book was small enough, so I did it again. This time, I attempted to make it smaller without saying the incantation, but it didn't work.

"A spell does not work when thought when the mind is insufficiently focused on the objective," he said, "Most wizards do not master the use of non-verbal magic because of the focus it requires".

He spoke as if those that were unable to master nonverbal magic were the lowest of the low; I only raised my wand again, and attempted it nonverbally once more. It took four more tries to get it to shrink non-verbally; but afterwards, I shrunk the other book on the table non-verbally also. It was how the magic responded to the thoughts; it did require focus. I had to focus on that specific spell and nothing else, rather than the half-focus I had been displaying before.

He then un-shrunk the books, and then said, "Again. Just because you have just done something twice does not mean that you can do it with some degree of fluency."

I did it so many times that I lost count, and then, we began with 'Engorgio' all over again. I was able to get that one faster than the reducing charm. It was the fact that I now knew how much magic I had to put into spells in order to get them to work. Now, I wasn't so hesitant when it came to putting power into my spells.

"The power of spells are determined by how much magical energy you put into the spell as well as the strength of your magical core. The wand type one is affiliated to helps, also." He said, sneering.

"Why the sneer, Professor?" I asked.

He only looked at me before motioning to the floo, where Sirius Black's head was floating in green flames. His hair was long, slightly wavy and matted; while his face was pale and his eyes were gaunt. There was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, and he asked, "May I come through?"

"If you must," Severus sneered.

He stepped through, pulled out his wand and cleaned the sooty residue that clung to the floor with a casual flick of his wrist. He sneered at Severus before turning to me, saying charmingly, "Now where is Headmaster Dumbledore?"

"I have no idea. I don't have a tracking device on him." Was my sarcastic response. His eyes flashed, and he ground out an expletive as he stalked back through the fire.

Severus watched him go, and the sneer fell off his face as the fire turned back to red. "Have you met Black before?"

"No. I just didn't like the way he looked at you; you haven't done anything malicious toward me, and yet he sees the need to sneer at you as if you were something dirty on the bottom of his shoe. That is the one thing that I cannot stand." I said, my voice going cold, and becoming as sharp as shrapnel at the end. "I do not condone such behavior towards anyone."

He nodded, and I sat down heavily on the settee, suddenly realizing that I was exhausted.

"You will feel rather tired for the first few months that you use magic; your body is not used to expending such a great amount." He said, noticing the way I had sat down.

I blinked up at him, and he sighed as he walked over back to the wing-back chair and sat down. He put his wand back into the holster in his sleeve, and pulled a thick book off of a shelf next to the chair. I closed my eyes, and after a few moments I fell asleep.

I awoke in my bedroom, to voices out in the living room. It was Severus and my grandfather; they seemed to be discussing important, by the sound of their voices, but I drifted back into sleep. The next time I awoke, it was by my Grandfather, and he shook me awake. He smiled and said, "It's time for you to wake up now."

I grunted an answer, and he left my room as I pulled myself out of bed. I showered and dressed in some set of robes, but I left the muffler and hat in the casings. I didn't want to have to search through the different boxes that had not been put away. I walked into the living room where Severus and Grandfather were waiting. Severus lead me back to the room that we had been in the day before, and started on my remembrance of the customs book I had read the day before even though I had not finished it. He continued with the dance, after, once again, I had proven that I could walk with a book on the top of my head, with the proper posture.

We went back upstairs to my Grandfather's rooms, and he taught me how to cast Wingardium Leviosa, Depulso, and Expelliarmus. He relentlessly drilled me in the proper casting movements, pronunciation, and then, learning them silently. He incorporated the two spells I had learned the day before, also. The exhaustion that I had felt yesterday was nothing compared to today's; I ate lunch, read and noted the rest of the customs book, which took me the rest of the evening, talked to my grandfather for a bit, and then went to bed at eight o'clock. It was unnatural that I went to bed before midnight; I was used to pulling all-nighters in college.

I awoke to someone knocking on my door, and I blearily opened my eyes and trudged across the room to the locked door. I pulled the door open with a little more force than necessary to find Severus Snape standing there.

"Your Grandfather is away on business; he asked me to wake you for your lessons. Today we'll review the spells that you have learned, and add Protego, Tempus, and Bombarda." He said in his deadpan voice.

"Getting a bit higher in the world, am I?" I said wryly. "I have my finished notes on the table, and I haven't even touched the other book yet. I'll be out momentarily." 

He nodded and disappeared into the living room; I engaged in my morning ritual, and nearly jumped when a knock sounded at the other side of my door when I had my hand on the handle. I opened the door, and Severus raised an eyebrow at my shocked expression.

"You're easy to surprise early in the morning." He said.

"Yeah, I know. I sleep like the dead." I said, pulling the door closed behind me.

"Your notes were detailed enough; maybe today, we'll move on to the second half of the book. That is, if you would rather do that than dance." He said.

"I'd rather do the questions today, and work on the dance tomorrow." I said. Then, something hit me. I had never referred to Severus by his name at all. "So, what am I supposed to call you? You aren't really my professor, and Snape would seem rather informal."

He looked at me. "Severus is fine."

I nodded, and we reached the room where etiquette lessons had commenced two days prior. He quizzed me on the book, and we did a quick run through of the dance moves that I had learned yesterday. Today, we stayed in the etiquette room to learn the spells; they seemed to be too dangerous to learn in my Grandfather's quarters.

Tempus was easy. We did that one first, and then moved to Protego, which took me nearly an hour to get right, even with saying the incantation. It took me another thirty minutes to cast it without speaking. After that, it was Bombarda. It was easier than Protego, by far. That one only took me thirty minutes for both spoken and thought incantations.

Since I finished earlier than he thought we would, he took me down to the Great Hall, and I ate lunch there. There were only a small amount of students, and one other member of the staff at the table. It was McGonagall. She nodded politely at us as we sat down, but most of the students were staring unabashedly at us without a sense of subtly that had me worried for the next generation.

"Severus, is it normal for the students to stare like this? Or do they have concussions?"

He only snorted and said, "The commodity of a new person at the Head Table always gets the students talking."

"Incorrigible brats." I deadpanned, and he gave a derisive snort.

McGonagall only gave a small chuckle as one of the older students bristled at being called a 'brat', even though the student was a Hufflepuff. It only further proved my point.

"I thought Hufflepuffs were supposed to be fair and loyal and good friends, hard workers and the like. So what's wrong with that one?" I asked him.

He only raised an eyebrow at me. "That is normally the case, but in the past few years, more and more Hufflepuffs become more and more like the other houses. Maybe they were loyal when they were sorted when they were 11, but people change."

McGonagall only snorted. "Perhaps it's only because you called the student a 'brat' to begin with."

I shook my head and gave true laugh for the first time since I had been there.


End file.
